The truth is your teacher, professor, college admission board, or any other person you are submitting your essay to probably has dozens of papers to go through at a time. So, you only have a couple of seconds to a minute at best to capture their attention and keep them hooked to your essay.
That means the introduction is arguably the most important part of your writing as it not only determines if the reader sticks to the end but also affects how they will grade your paper. So, if you don’t want to be forgotten in a pile of other essays, you need to craft a memorable opening.
Luckily, you can learn and perfect the art of writing an excellent introductory paragraph. Here are six tips to get you started:
Start with a Compelling, Amusing, or Surprising Truth
The beginning sentence of your writeup is your first- and sometimes- only shot at making a good first impression. That is why it is called the hook. So, you should really take your time to craft a good opening statement.
An excellent way to begin is to share an interesting, fascinating, or shocking fact related to the topic you are about to discuss. However, make sure your fact is not common knowledge or a cliché. It should be something that your target reader probably doesn’t know.
Other ways you can start your introduction include:
- Start with a question: with a question, you encourage the reader to engage with your work.
- Dramatized scenario: you can use this approach in your personal statement or creative piece.
- Quote: if you have a relevant captivating quote that you think will hook your reader, you can start with that too.
Make Your Thesis Straightforward and Understandable
Your introduction shouldn’t beat around the bush. More so when it comes to the thesis statement. Aim to present an argument that is clear and to the point. It should give the reader a clear idea of what your central argument is all about. You may need a couple of tries before you come up with a refined version.
Give the Reader Some Context
You also want to give the reader some context to your essay. That is some background to what you will talk about in the body section. Going by your task, it could be a summary, some timeline or location background, or anything else. However, remember to be brief and down reveal everything in the opening paragraph.
Provide a Quick Overview of What You Will Discuss
Another thing that you have to do if you want to craft an excellent intro for your essay is to give your reader a brief but compelling overview of what they are about to get into. It means you have to highlight what your paper is about without giving away too much information. After all, your introduction is not the body, so there is no point in divulging too much information here.
Even though you have to be brief to allow the reader to get your point fast, you need to be compelling at the same time. That means using anecdotes, examples, quotes, and other interesting statements and facts to pique the reader’s interest.
Get Help from an Essay Expert
Where can I get help with my essay? That’s an excellent question to ask yourself whenever you struggle with your paper. But even more important at this point is the response to this query.
You can get assistance with your introduction from a professional on an online writing platform. There are tons of such services on the internet, so getting matched with an essay pro for assistance is no hassle. All the same, you want to find a company with excellent reviews, reliable writers, and speedy delivery so you can submit your paper on time.
Don’t Forget to Refine Your Introduction to Get the Final Draft
As you get deeper into your composition writing, your argument might shift at some point. For this reason, it is always an excellent idea to wait until later to work on your introduction. In fact, this is the main reason essay experts advise that your introduction paragraph becomes the last thing you work on.
So, here’s what you need to do. After completing the concluding paragraph, go back to the introduction and check whether it fits the content of your composition. You want to pay attention to your thesis statement to ensure it matches what you covered in your piece.
If your argument has diverted from the original plan, make necessary adjustments, so it sits right with your paper.
Putting it All Together
Writing a killer introduction is an excellent way to give your essay much tempo at the start and hook the reader. If you want to enhance this paragraph so you can start crafting excellent essays, these tips make an ideal place to start. Be sure to check them off every time you write to ensure your introductions are perfect.
